Broadway Baby

[@tadimaggio]

I saw the production of "Follies" at the Kennedy Center in Washington several years ago. When Linda Lavin sang "Broadway Baby", I have never been so thankful in my life that I had opera glasses with me, so that I could see her face. This wasn't just a talented woman singing a great song; this was a human being, representing ALL human beings, metaphorically spitting in the face of Death on our collective behalf, saying, in effect, "I've lived, and worked, and done what I wanted to, and had a ball doing it, and broken my heart along the way to boot. You can NEVER take that away from me!" At intermission, the lady sitting on my right said, "You really seem in to this show." When I agreed with her, she smiled. "So am I. That's why I flew in from Denver to see it."

[@ChrisRandomSinger]

SO glad I got to see her at the last performance. She was amazing! It might be my favorite version of the song. She ROCKED it! She looks so youthful, too! This angle even looks like right about where I was sitting, so it looks like it's right out of my memory. Thank you so much for posting!

[@ChrisRandomSinger]

Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!!! That would mean the world to me. I found an old clip of her that I posted when she sang "Some People" on a Jule Styne special around the time she was in the show and I thought she was simply wonderful. Every since then, I've been dying to see more of her in the role. I loved Bernadette's Rose. Once again, very different, but in a great, fresh way. She was sexy, vulnerable, and sad.

[@KateBushDepot]

Love Linda Lavin! This isn't my favorite performance at all but I believe this is one of those rare instances when you just had to be there to fully appreciate it. Linda, imho, is simply one of those performers whose "amazing-ness" doesn't translate well on recorded video. I felt the same way when I watched her performance as Mama Rose in Gypsy on video...

[@omorado]

Yes! I love Jayne Houdyshell doing this on Broadway. She is definitely one of the highlights from a great production.

[@shw8179]

I have done my own share of musical comedy... I have seen many renditions of this classic. Was going to use this for my own current audition piece, BUT.... In my opinion, there is no finer delivery than this!

[@KateBushDepot]

I love Linda as well. Personally, I really like how she tackled Rose. She just handled it differently, just like Bernadette Peters did. It's one of those performances I wish I had seen (partly wishful thinking since I was about 7 or 8 in 1989 with no clue whatsoever about musical theatre lol). I'll post it as soon as I find it and if no one else beats me up to it. ;)

[@BeckoffShow]

this gives me hope One More Kiss and Ah Paris will be up.

[@ChrisRandomSinger]

Thank you SO much! I'd love to see it. I've heard very strange things like that about her performance. I'd like to judge for myself. haha! She's one of my favorite performers and I'd love to see how she tackled the role.

[@CharlesSanchez1968]

Good for you, Linda! Right on!

[@KateBushDepot]

No probs hehe. Linda and Bernadette are the most underrated Roses ever imho. I just don't get it that so many people hated their interpretations.

[@BeckoffShow]

thank you!

[@KateBushDepot]

Yeah, there's a bootleg video of Linda (with something like an Irish accent if I remember correctly) in Gypsy. I have this video at one point but its hidden somewhere among a hundred unlabeled DVDs and I kinda dreaded the task of locating it lol. I'll try to look for it asap...

[@efisler030548]

Thank you. :).

[@omorado]

@rgmrtn I totally agree.. and I don't. One sees Shutta and you picture that life you describe. With Lavin, I see a glamour girl who has aged but who has always been invested in her looks and presentation and continues to be so, she seems to have money, whether made on her on or by her man, who knows?! Let me also say, I totally loved Jayne's interpretation in the current production as well! All of these great actresses, utterly charming!

[@BWAY62]

Yes She Is !

[@tmlupone]

I love Linda Lavin, but am terrible glad that the Broadway production will restore the original medley ending for this.

[@ChrisRandomSinger]

Linda's Gypsy performance is on tape? Where can I find this? I've been dying to see her in the role! There's a few audio clips around, but that's all I've heard.

[@ChrisRandomSinger]

I think they're just used to the ol' battle ax Roses like Ethel and Patti. There's certainly nothing wrong with that at all, but I like a little variety and vulnerability in my Roses. Makes the character more complex. I'm certainly curious to see how Streisand will pull it off if that new film version ever gets off the ground. Should be interesting to say the least. Could be great or a wonderful trainwreck. LOL!

[@rgmrtn]

You see those pictures of Ethel Shutta with the corsage and the orthopedic shoes. You can picture a whole life from that, one bigger than show business. This other stuff is too sparkly and boring. That said, I think Lavin is pretty good.

[@seethevolcane]

Oh dear.

[@BeckoffShow]

did she burp at 2:06? she missed her que by a second or two.

[@aarontakesbroadway]

BeckoffShow Or maybe that was an acting choice...I guess we’ll never know.

[@MikeA15206]

Why did the director let her change the character from a frump? I like LL (dispute the pitch problems) but if the role calls for orthopedic shoes and a wig, put it on.

[@marquamfurniture]

As a concertized version, it's okay not to be in character costume. IMO performance is a little underwhelming.

[@whereismikeyfl]

It was not a concert. It was a production starring Bernadette Peters and Jan Maxwell.

[@omorado]

I️ thought it was fun to imagine a former Broadway Baby that still was a hottie all these years later.

[@sicetergo]

@BeckoffShow She seems to lose the words a bit. I suppose this maybe one of those 'you had to be there' performances - it doesn't do anything for me.

[@TheHisNat]

The reason I dislike this version has nothing to do with Linda. Her voice is more than up to the job of the singing the song. It is just the way it has been constructed. The song loses something when it is done without Rain on the Roof and Ah Pariee at the end. Also the character looks slightly too glamorous and does not quite fit with what the song is meant to represent.

[@mmdillon1]

@jmt319 I have always loved the special talents of the great Ms Linda Lavin, but a "powerful voice"??? As I know Ms Lavin agrees, she is not a singer -- she is a great performer.

[@johndalton3180]

I love Linda, but I find this to be a bit bizarre. Her attempted sexiness is kinda pathetic. Maybe that was the idea? In any case, it didn't work. And to take the medley aspect of it away always works against it. I can understand why she left/was replaced.

[@gasparmarino75]

Seemed that Linda had the director tailor the number to spotlight herself, rather than portraying the character she was meant to be playing in Follies. A bit egocentric I would say.

[@aarontakesbroadway]

Gaspar Marino Would you now? Well, you don’t know what was going on, perhaps they wanted to try something different before transferring over to Broadway, plus I think interpretation is key here, because this is the most unique version of this song I’ve ever seen!

[@cole3k]

It's sad knowing that bernadette peters is in the wings watching this happen. she nocks this song out of the park. But, I guess she can't play all the parts... or could she?

[@aarontakesbroadway]

Nicole Shaver No she couldn’t and mustn’t.

[@garymazzeo3490]

Never cared for her, she thinks she is another Judy Garland and tries to copy her.

[@aarontakesbroadway]

Gary Mazzeo I don’t think so. You can not compare such different performance styles, she’s divine in her own right and so was/is Judy!

[@nygypsy318]

Wow... this is pretty bad...